Strained cycloalkanols in C–C bond formation reactions: a boon in disguise!

Abstract

With a significant prominence in various strain release transformations, the strained cycloalkanols act as ‘n’ carbon synthons in a multitude of diversified reactions. Their ease of formation, along with facile ring scission through the β-C elimination pathway, foresee various reactivities involving scaffold rearrangements, transition-metal and light-driven transformations, homoenolate mediated chemistry, tandem C–H/C–C bond activations, and so on. This review, therefore, highlights the key developments in the ever-expanding sphere of cycloalkanol chemistry, with key emphasis provided to the higher ring analogues. Prominent breakthroughs since their inception to the recent developments on enantioselective, light-mediated, and electrochemical transformations are also elaborated for the various alkanol systems, thus, featuring their paramount significance.